Melissa H. Lambert

Ms. Lambert represents employers in state and federal courts, and in administrative proceedings before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, and Hawai‘i Department of Labor & Industrial Relations. She has successfully defended employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and whistleblowing. Ms. Lambert has also represented companies in business disputes, bringing claims for fraud, unjust enrichment, and breach of contract, and has successfully obtained injunctions against former employees for breach of non-competition agreements.

Ms. Lambert regularly advises clients on employment matters, including compliance with federal and state employment laws, wage and hour issues, discipline and discharge, personnel policies and procedures, corporate restructuring and downsizing issues, and successor employer liability. In addition, she provides training to supervisors and employees, conducts workplace investigations, and assists clients with preparing employee handbooks, job descriptions, employment contracts, and confidentiality and non-competition agreements.

Ms. Lambert has obtained temporary restraining orders and preliminary and permanent injunctions to address workplace violence concerns.

Ms. Lambert has worked on complex termination planning matters for large Hawaii trusts. She advises trustees and personal representatives regarding the trust and probate administration process, including their fiduciary responsibilities, duties in managing and winding down a trust or estate, and trust accounting.

Ms. Lambert has extensive experience with trust and estate litigation, including will and trust contests, cases involving undue influence and capacity, claims for breach of fiduciary duty, and spousal elective share proceedings. She has defended fiduciaries in suits for breach of fiduciary duty, as well as advanced claims for beneficiaries for fiduciary abuse.